Arizona Wildcats
Encyclopedia
Athletic program
The University of Arizona participates in the NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes
The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
, UCLA
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
, USC
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
, and Utah
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are the athletics teams of the University of Utah. They are named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the "Runnin' Utes"; the women's basketball team, formerly known as the "Lady Utes," now prefers to be referred to as the "Utes"; and the...
. Arizona joined the Pac-8 in 1978 along with Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, bringing the conference to 10 teams and the new name of the Pac-10 (the conference became the Pac-12 with the additions of Colorado and Utah in 2011). The school colors are cardinal red and navy blue, and the official fight song is "Fight! Wildcats! Fight!
Fight! Wildcats! Fight!
"Fight! Wildcats! Fight!" is the official fight song of the University of Arizona. While "Bear Down, Arizona!" is easily the most recognizable fight song attributed to the University it was written 23 years after "Fight!" and is more accurately described as the official motto of the...
", though "Bear Down, Arizona!" is more commonly used and "Bear Down
Bear Down
"Bear Down" is the official motto of the University of Arizona , located in Tucson, Arizona. It is the inspiration for "Bear Down, Arizona!," the unofficial fight song of the school's Arizona Wildcats...
" is the university's motto.
History
The Wildcats name derived from a 1914 football game with then CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
champions Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
, where the L.A. Times asserted that Arizona "showed the fight of wildcats."
- The first sport to bring national recognition to UA was PoloPoloPolo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
. The 1924 UA Polo Team captured the Western Collegiate Championship, and traveled to the east coast to present U.S. President Calvin CoolidgeCalvin CoolidgeJohn Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
with a cowboy hat. The UA Polo team faced Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
for the intercollegiate title and lost 6–2 and 8–0. With the onset of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the UA was unable to continue sponsoring a Polo team.
Mascot
The University mascots are anthropomorphized wildcatBobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s named Wilbur and Wilma. The identities of Wilbur and Wilma are kept secret through the year as the mascots appear only in costume, except typically until the last home basketball game of the year. Then, at halftime, Wilbur and Wilma are exposed. In 1986, Wilbur and Wilma, a longtime couple, were married. Together, Wilbur and Wilma appear along with the cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
squad at most Wildcat sporting events.
Arizona's first mascot was a real desert bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
named "Rufus Arizona", introduced in 1915 and named after the university's president at the time, Rufus B. von KleinSmid
Rufus B. von KleinSmid
Rufus Bernhard von KleinSmid was the Seventh President of the University of Arizona . and the Fifth President of the University of Southern California ....
.
Rivalries
A strong athletic rivalry exists between the University of Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State University Sun Devils, the state's only two Division I-FBS teams. The rivalry has been recognized as one of the most bitter rivalries in college sports. Both schools compete in the State Farm Territorial Cup SeriesState Farm Territorial Cup Series
The State Farm Territorial Cup Series is the yearlong competition between Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils. The series includes head to head competitions in 18 different sports....
, a head to head competition in 18 different sports. The football rivalry, nicknamed "The Duel in the Desert," is one of the oldest trophy rivalry games in college football. The trophy awarded after each football game is the Territorial Cup
Territorial Cup
The Territorial Cup is a trophy that is awarded to the winner of an American college football rivalry game, commonly referred to as "The Duel in the Desert," played annually between the Arizona State Sun Devils football team of Arizona State University and the Arizona Wildcats football team of the...
as the teams first played in 1899, while the Territory of Arizona
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
was an organized incorporated territory of the United States.
Rivalries have also been created with other Pac-12 teams, especially University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
which has been a consistent softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
rival and was Arizona's main basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
rival in the early and mid-1990s. With UCLA's 2006 Final Four
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
appearance, the rivalry was revitalized.
Outside of the Pac-12, Arizona has two dormant rivalries with two other former Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Border Conference , was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961-1962 season...
members, the New Mexico Lobos
New Mexico Lobos
The New Mexico Lobos are the athletic teams representing the University of New Mexico. The university's athletic program fields teams in 19 varsity sports. The Lobos participate in the NCAA Division I and is a charter member of the Mountain West Conference...
and Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
. Although Arizona remained in the Border Conference until it folded in 1961, New Mexico and Texas Tech withdrew from the Border Conference in 1952 and 1956 respectively. Both football programs remained on Arizona's schedule annually until the late 1970s, even though Texas Tech was a member of the Southwest Conference and New Mexico was a member of the Skyline Eight. In 1962, Arizona and New Mexico once again became conference rivals as charter members of the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. The Kit Carson Rifle was a traveling trophy exchanged between the Wildcats and Lobos from 1938 though 1990. Prior to the 1997 Insight.com Bowl
1997 Insight.com Bowl
The 1997 Insight.com Bowl was the 9th edition to the bowl game. It featured the Arizona Wildcats and the . It was a meeting of old Western Athletic Conference and Border Conference rivals....
, two schools announced the Kit Carson Rifle would not be awarded to the bowl game's winner because the trophy may have been used against Native Americans.
Men's Ice Hockey
Arizona IceCats (1979-2011)University of Arizona Hockey was first established in 1979 by Head Coach and General Manager Leo Golembiewski as a Division-1 non-varsity hockey team, and originally played under the name of the Arizona IceCats. With Coach Golembiewski's help, the Icecats were a founding member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA, est. 1991).
In their 32 seasons of play ending with the 2010-2011 season, the Arizona IceCats had an overall record of 634-217-23. They won a National Tournament (1985), appeared in eight Final Fours (’84, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’91, ’93, ’94, ’97) and ten Elite Eights.
Since the 1980-81 season, IceCat home games were played at the 6,400 seat Tucson Convention Center Arena, affectionately known as “The Madhouse on Main Street," where the IceCats were consistently one of the University's top draws. (Last season's attendance: 70,000+) During their tenure, they also ranked near the top in attendance for all of College Hockey, both ACHA and NCAA. The Tucson Convention Center is a staple of University of Arizona Hockey.
IceCats games were also broadcast on ESPN radio and the worldwide web on FastHockey.com
Arizona Wildcats (2011- )
As of April 2011, University of Arizona hockey has begun a new tradition, which includes a name change to the school's official 'Wildcats' name, managerial changes throughout the whole organization, coaching staff changes, and most importantly the financial backing of the school, which they have never had in their history under former Head Coach and General Manager Leo Golembiewski.
After 32 years of service to the game of Hockey in Tucson,AZ it became clear that Coach Golembiewski had lost touch with the modern game of hockey, as shown most apparently by only one National Tournament appearance since the streak of twenty-one straight national tournament appearances ended in 2004, and concluding with two seasons going winless against Arizona State University. Along with a grocery list of other reasons, including financial mismanagement and mistreatment of players, he was officially relieved of his duties with the organization April 22, 2011 via a press-release put out by the University.
The new Wildcat hockey team is organized under the auspices of the Campus Recreation Department, will continue to play their home games on Friday and Saturday nights at "The Madhouse", as well as being broadcast on FastHockey.com, with new Head Coach Sean Hogan taking former Coach Leo Golembiewski's place behind the bench. Hogan was officially hired on July 18, 2011 and announced as the new Head Coach via press release on July 19.
Varsity teams
The University of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
fields 18 intercollegiate varsity teams that compete in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
. These teams include:
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, Men's & Women's BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Men's & Women's Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, Men's & Women's GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, GymnasticsGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, Women's Soccer, SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, Men's & Women's SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
/DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, Men's & Women's TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, Men's & Women's Track & Field, and Women's VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
Men's Basketball
The men's basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team has been one of the nation's most successful programs since Lute Olson
Lute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
was hired as head coach in 1983 and was known as a national powerhouse in Division I-A men's basketball. As of 2008, the team had amassed 21 consecutive 20-win seasons, and reached the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
25 consecutive years. The Wildcats have reached the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
of the NCAA tournament in 1988, 1994, 1997, and 2001. In 1997, Arizona defeated the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, the defending national champions, to win the NCAA National Championship. Their championship team was led by future NBA players Mike Bibby and Michael Dickerson, as well as Final Four MVP Miles Simon. Bennett Davison and A.J. Bramlett rounded out the starting five. Other team members include Jason Terry, the Cats' sixth man who went on to a solid NBA career, John Ash, Eugene Edgerson, Donnell Harris, Jason Lee, Josh Pastner, Jason Stewart, Quynn Tebbs and Justin Wessel. To this date, they are the only team to defeat three number one seeds in the same tournament: Kansas (Sweet 16); North Carolina (Final 4); and Kentucky in the Championship Game. They won a thriller game in the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
in double overtime to take them to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
(NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
).
Arizona also has a history of first round upset losses in the NCAA tournament, including being one of only four teams in history to lose a game as a 2 seed (to Santa Clara, in 1993), one of only fourteen 3 seeds to lose a game (to East Tennessee State, in 1992), and one of twenty 4 seeds to lose a game (to Oklahoma, in 1999).
After 25 years of coaching Arizona, Lute Olson retired shortly before the 2008–2009 season, largely due to on-going health issues. After several years of coaching by interim head coaches, Arizona named Sean Miller
Sean Miller
Sean Miller is an American college basketball coach, and currently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Arizona.-Early years:...
, formerly the head coach of Xavier
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...
, as the next Wildcats head coach. In the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Sean Miller lead the Wildcats to an Elite Eight.
Football
The footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team began at the University of Arizona in 1899 under the nickname "Varsity" (a name kept until the 1914 season when the team earned the name "Wildcats"). The football team was notably successful in the 1990s under head coach Dick Tomey
Dick Tomey
-External links:* *...
and his "Desert Swarm" defense that was characterized by tough, hard-nosed tactics. In 1993
1993 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, but not without controversy.Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl...
, the team had its first 10-win season and drubbed the powerhouse Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
by a score of 29–0. In 1998
1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...
, the team posted a school-record 12–1 season and made the Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
in which it defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. Arizona ended that season ranked 3rd nationally and 2nd in several publications. Despite a stellar season, Arizona's single loss to UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
caused the team to finish second in the Pac-10. From 1999–2007 Arizona has had a mix of unsuccessful seasons without any bowl appearances. Then in 2008 Arizona returned to prominence with a successful season and a bowl win against BYU
BYU Cougars
BYU Cougars is an American soccer team based in Provo, Utah, United States. The team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference....
in the Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American...
. Arizona has started to build up its old time success with a 6–2 record, and an appearance in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
standings ranked #18. This is the first time they have been ranked in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
poll since 1998. After their win against Washington State
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, Arizona was bowl eligible for the 3rd time in 4 years. After a win against USC, Arizona along with Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
was invited to the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
. It was the first time since 1998 that Arizona had played in the Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
and the second time both schools have meet each other at the bowl game.
Baseball
The baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team is consistently one of the top teams in the country and has captured three national championship titles in 1976, 1980, and 1986. Arizona baseball teams have appeared in the NCAA College World Series a total of 15 times, including 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986, 2004 (College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
). The team is currently coached by Head coach Andy Lopez
Andy Lopez
Andy Lopez is an American college baseball coach. He is currently the head baseball coach at the University of Arizona, and he has previously served as the head baseball coach at California State University Dominguez Hills, Pepperdine University and the University of Florida...
, Assistant Coach Jeff Casper, Assistant Coach Mark Wasikowski, and Volunteer Assistant Coach Keith Francis.
Softball
The Arizona softballSoftball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
program has arguably been the best college softball program over the last 20 years. The softball team has won eight NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Women's College World Series titles, in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2007 under head coach Mike Candrea
Mike Candrea
Mike Candrea is the head softball coach at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He was also the head coach of the United States women's national softball team.-Collegiate Coaching Record:...
(NCAA Softball Championship). The team has appeared in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
National Championship in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2010, a feat second only to UCLA. Mike Candrea also led the 2004 U.S. Olympic softball team to a gold medal in Athens, Greece.
{| class="toccolours" style= width="300px"
! colspan="15" style="text-align: center; background:#000080" | ARIZONA WILDCATS SOFTBALL
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:Bold; font-size:100%; border:4px" cellpadding="4"
|-align="center" bgcolor="#C41E3A"
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1991
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1993
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1994
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1996
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1997
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
2001
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
2006
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
2007
|}
{| class="toccolours" style= width="300px"
! colspan="15" style="text-align: center; background:#000080" | RETIRED SOFTBALL JERSEYS
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:Bold; font-size:100%; border:4px" cellpadding="4"
|-align="center" bgcolor="white"
|
JENNY
DALTON
16
|
NANCY
EVANS
13
|
JENNIE
FINCH
Jennie Finch
Jennie Lynn Finch , who occasionally uses her husband's surname Daigle, is a former American softball player who pitched for the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
27
|
SUSIE
PARRA
1
|
JULIE
REITAN
10
|}
Men's and Women's Golf
The university's golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
teams have also been notably successful. The men's team won a national championship in 1992 (NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships
NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships
The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, played in late May or early June, is the top annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, starting in 2009 the competition changed to a stroke play/match play competition with the top 8 teams after 54 holes of...
), while the women's team won national championships in 1996 and 2000 (NCAA Women's Golf Championship
NCAA Women's Golf Championship
NCAA Champions for women's golf:-Division I:-Division II-III combined:-Division II:-Division III:-Team:The following schools have won more than one team championship:*15: Methodist*7: Arizona State*5: Duke, Rollins*4: Florida Southern...
). Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam is a Swedish-American professional golfer whose achievements rank her as one of the most successful golfers in history. Before stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season, she won 90 international tournaments as a professional, making her the female golfer...
won an individual national title in 1991, and Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa Reyes is a Mexican professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010, and was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for over three years, from April 2007 to her retirement in May 2010...
was NCAA Women's Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002 before leaving UA early to turn pro. Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk
James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing...
, the 2003 U.S. Open Champion attended the University of Arizona prior to turning professional in 1992.
Other
Three championships for synchronized swimmingSynchronized swimming
Synchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
were won in 1980, 1981, and 1984, though these championships were in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, and not the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
.
The women's swimming & diving team won their first national championship in 2008.
Men's Lacrosse
The lacrosse team is affectionately known as the “Laxcats” currently competes in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse AssociationMen's Collegiate Lacrosse Association
The Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association is a national organization of non-NCAA, men's college lacrosse programs. The MCLA oversees game play and conducts national championships for over 200 teams in ten conferences throughout the United States and Canada...
(MCLA) at the MCLA Division I level in the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference
Southwestern Lacrosse Conference
The Southwestern Lacrosse Conference is a lacrosse-only athletic conference affiliated with the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association...
. Lacrosse at U of A has existed since the mid-sixties, and is saturated with a rich tradition of success. In the 1960s, Arizona was a Division I Varsity program, coached by the legendary Carl Runk
Carl Runk
-Towson University:Runk coached Towson men's lacrosse for 31 years. He compiled a overall record of 261–161–0. In 1974 he led the Tigers to the National Championship by defeating Hobart 18–17, making them the College Division National Lacrosse Champions. Towson moved to Division I in 1980 and had...
, an Arizona graduate and football player. In 1998 Carl retired after twenty-eight years at Towson University
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The most well known player to graduate from that era was Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
, who played goalie. During that Varsity era, the team rose as high as number 3 in the Nation.
In the early 70’s Craig Hassell, a transplanted Long Island lacrosse fanatic, stepped up and kept the tradition alive. The 70’s rosters were packed with the types of free spirited players that typified the era. Predominately from Long Island and Maryland, these free spirits had little cares other than their dedication to the game. In 1976, the timing was right for yet another transplanted Long Islander to assume the responsibility for the stability of the University of Arizona Program. Mickey-Miles Felton, at the age of 30, had begun his Arizona career as a defenseman, was named the Head Coach.
The Laxcats have claimed only one Conference Title, occurring in 1990. In 1997, the Laxcats were ranked Number 1 heading into the National Tournament but were upset early by Brigham Young University in the second round of the Tournament. Following the 2001 season Mickey-Miles Felton stepped down with 278 career wins to assume the role of General Manager. Assistant Coach Adam Hopkins, of New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology is a private, non-sectarian, co-educational research university in New York City. NYIT has five schools and two colleges, all with a strong emphasis on technology and applied scientific research...
, was elevated to the top spot and the Tradition continued. Following the 2003 season, Hopkins left and his assistant Ken Broschart was moved into the Head Coaching position. Broschart brought in Matt Hunter, and the following year Tim Spruyt as the NYIT pipeline continued. Hopkins, Broschart, and Hunter were all All Americans while at NYIT.
Notable athletic venues
- McKale CenterMcKale CenterMcKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena located at 1756 E University Blvd on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. It is primarily used for basketball, but also features state-of-the-art physical training and therapy facilities. Its construction is marked with a large...
, opened in 1973, is currently used by men's and women's basketball, women's gymnastics, and women's volleyball. The official capacity has changed often. The largest crowd to see a game in McKale was 15,176 in 1976 for a game against the University of New MexicoUniversity of New MexicoThe University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
, a main rival during that period. In 2000, the floor in McKale was dubbed Lute Olson Court, for the basketball program's winningest coach. During a memorial service in 2001 for Lute's wife, Bobbi, who died earlier that year after a battle with ovarian cancer, the floor was renamed Lute and Bobbi Olson Court. In addition to the playing surface, McKale Center is host to the offices of the UA athletic department. McKale Center is named after J.F. Pop McKale, who was athletic director and coach from 1914 through 1957.
- Arizona StadiumArizona StadiumArizona Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is the home field of the Arizona Wildcats of the Pacific-12 Conference, and its current seating capacity is 57,803....
, built in 1928, seats over 56,000 patrons. It's the home for the University of Arizona Wildcats football team, and has also been used for university graduations. The turf is bermuda grass, taken from the local Tucson National Golf Club. Arizona football's home record is 258–139–12. The largest crowd ever in Arizona Stadium was 59,920 in 1996 for a game against Arizona State University.
- Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet StadiumJerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet StadiumJerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium is a college baseball stadium in Tucson, Arizona, on the campus of the University of Arizona. Until 2011, it was the home field of the Arizona Wildcats of the Pac-10 Conference....
hosts baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
games.
- Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium hosts softballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
games.
- The Tucson Convention Center ("The Madhouse on Main St.") hosts hockey games
Traditions
- At the beginning of each school year, freshmen repaint the "A" on "A" MountainSentinel Peak (Arizona)Sentinel Peak, more commonly known as "A" Mountain, is a prominent ridgein the Tucson Mountains west of Tucson, Arizona.Sentinel Peak rises 2,897 feet into the air to the west of the Santa Cruz River. The underground ridge of rock, running to the east, once forced groundwater to the surface...
, a Tucson and Wildcat landmark just west of campus.
- One of the two bells rescued from the USS ArizonaUSS Arizona (BB-39)USS Arizona, a , was built for the United States Navy in the mid-1910s. Named in honor of the 48th state's recent admission into the union, the ship was the second and last of the Pennsylvania class of "super-dreadnought" battleships. Although commissioned in 1916, the ship remained stateside...
after the attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
has a permanent home in the clock tower of the Student Union Memorial Center on campus. The bell first arrived on campus in July 1946. The bell is rung seven times on the third Wednesday of every month at 12:07 p.m. to honor the achievements of the UA, as well as after football victories over all schools located outside of Arizona.
- The University of Arizona marching bandMarching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
, named The Pride of ArizonaThe Pride of ArizonaThe Pride of Arizona is the University of Arizona's marching band. The band was founded in 1902 as the UA ROTC Band and contained 12 members. Over the years, the band has performed in prestigious venues such as Super Bowl I and the Inaugural Parade of President James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. ...
, played at the halftime of the first Super BowlSuper BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. The band plays at most of the university's athletic events.
History of Bear Down, Arizona!
In 1952 Jack K. Lee, an applicant for the UA's band directorship, departed Tucson by air following an interview with UA administration. From his airplane window, Lee observed the huge letters on the roof of the UA gymnasium reading "BEAR DOWN". Inspired, Lee scribbled down what was at first a poem, but later turned into a song. By the time his plane landed, he had virtually finished it. A few weeks later Lee was named the UA band director, and in September 1952, the UA band performed "Bear Down, Arizona!" in public for the first time. Soon thereafter, "Bear Down, Arizona!" became accepted as UA's fight song despite the fact that the Chicago Bears fight song, "Bear Down, Chicago Bears", was introduced in 1941.History behind the motto Bear Down
The battle cry was created by a popular student athlete, John "Button" Salmon, who was the student body president, as well as the starting quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Wildcat football team and the catcher for the Wildcat baseball team.
The day before the first game of the 1926 football season, Salmon and three friends were involved in an automobile accident and their vehicle flipped over a ravine. Although Salmon's friends were not injured, Salmon suffered a severe spinal cord injury.
In the aftermath of the accident, football coach Pop McKale visited him in the hospital every day. During McKale's last visit, Salmon's last message to his teammates was, "Tell them...tell the team to bear down." John Salmon died on October 18, 1926.
The following year, the University of Arizona student body approved that "Bear Down" would be the new slogan for all Wildcat athletic teams. In 1939, the Arizona state legislature
Arizona Legislature
The Arizona Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 60 Representatives and 30 Senators...
issued a decree that "Bear Down" would be the exclusive property of the University of Arizona. (Bear Down
Bear Down
"Bear Down" is the official motto of the University of Arizona , located in Tucson, Arizona. It is the inspiration for "Bear Down, Arizona!," the unofficial fight song of the school's Arizona Wildcats...
)
Fight! Wildcats! Fight!
Hail Arizona WildcatsFighting for old UA
A raging team of Wildcats
Growling for the fray
There's not a team that can stop them
When the ball goes into play
So Fight! Team!
Fight with all your might
And win today!
Fight, Wildcats, Fight for Arizona
We're with you ever staunch and true
This day we hail you and we cheer you
They can't defeat the Red and Blue
Circle the ends and crash through the center
Hit hard and gain on ev'ry play
Fight Wildcats
Fight! Fight! Fight!
We'll win today!